This invention is directed to a deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus including a transverse hinged closure for loading the deformable intraocular lens into a lens delivery passageway of the lens injecting apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the lens injecting apparatus includes a lens cartridge having a transverse hinged configured to open and close for loading the deformable intraocular lens into a lens delivery passageway of the lens cartridge.
The present invention is directed to surgical apparatus for the implantation of a deformable intraocular lens into the eye. STAAR Surgical Company of Monrovia, California developed the concept of using a xe2x80x9cshooterxe2x80x9d type device for implanting a deformable intraocular lens into the eye, and supplied such devices in the United States beginning around 1986.
The STAAR xe2x80x9cshooterxe2x80x9d apparatus includes a separate lens injecting device and a separate one-piece hinged cartridge (i.e. a lens holding portion connected to a nozzle portion) that can be assembled together for operation. The hinged cartridge opens along a longitudinal axis to allow a deformable intraocular lens to be loaded in a flat configuration in the two open halves of the lens delivery passageway. When the lens cartridge is closed, a lens delivery passageway is defined therein and the deformable intraocular lens is folded about its center into a curved folded configuration inside the lens delivery passageway. The loaded lens cartridge is then assembled with the lens injecting device which includes a lens cartridge receiver and a movable plunger for forcing the deformable intraocular lens along the lens delivery passageway into the eye.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an improved deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus including an improved lens cartridge.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a lens cartridge which is easy to load with a deformable intraocular lens.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus including a transverse hinged lens cartridge configured to open and close for loading the deformable intraocular lens into the lens cartridge.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus including a hinged lens cartridge and a lens injecting device including a lens cartridge receiver and a movable plunger.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular injecting apparatus including a lens cartridge having a lens holding portion connected to a nozzle portion, the lens holding portion including wall portions connected together by a transverse hinge and configured to be opened and closed for loading a deformable intraocular lens into the lens cartridge.
A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus including a lens cartridge having a lens holding portion connected to a nozzle portion, the lens holding portion including a movable wall portion connected to a stationary wall portion by a transverse hinge.
A eighth object of the present invention is to provide a deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus including a lens cartridge having a lens holding portion connected to a nozzle portion, the lens holding portion including a movable wall portion connected to a stationary wall portion by a transverse hinge, and the movable wall portion including a protrusion extending inwardly into the lens delivery passageway for folding the deformable to intraocular lens into the lens delivery passageway when closing the movable wall portion.
The present invention is directed to a lens injecting apparatus for implanting a deformable intraocular lens into the eye. The lens injecting apparatus is provided with a lens delivery passageway therethrough accessible by means of a transverse hinged closure.
In one preferred embodiment, the lens injecting apparatus is a one (1) piece or component arrangement (i.e. no lens cartridge). For example, the lens injecting apparatus comprises a housing with an injecting tip and a passageway provided therethrough, a movable plunger disposed within said housing, and a transverse hinged closure along the side of the housing to allow a deformable intraocular lens to be loaded through an opening or window through the side of the housing into the lens delivery passageway when the transverse hinged closure is opened, and seal the opening or window when the transverse hinged closure is closed.
In another preferred embodiment, the lens injecting apparatus is a two (2) piece or component arrangement, including 1) a lens injecting device including a lens cartridge receiver; and 2) a lens cartridge. For example, the lens injecting device comprises a housing, a lens cartridge receiver provided at one end of the housing, and a movable plunger disposed in the housing. The lens cartridge, for example, is a one (1) piece or component arrangement including a lens holding portion having a transverse hinged closure connected to a nozzle portion. Once a deformable intraocular lens is loaded into the lens cartridge, the lens cartridge is then loaded into the lens cartridge receiver of the lens injecting device.
The transverse hinged closure arrangement utilized in the lens injecting apparatus according to the present invention orients the hinge transverse relative to the orientation of the lens delivery passageway. Specifically, the axis of the hinge is not parallel with the longitudinal axis of the lens delivery passageway. Preferably, the axis of the hinge is set at forty-five (45) to ninety (90) degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the lens delivery passageway. An angle of ninety (90) degrees is most preferred, especially in embodiments where the transverse hinged closure is utilized for folding the deformable intraocular lens into the lens delivery passageway so that the portion of the transverse hinged closure contacting and forcing the deformable intraocular lens into the lens delivery passageway is aligned with the lens delivery passageway.
In a preferred embodiment, the lens delivery passageway is linear, however, curvilinear arrangements can be utilized. Further, the lens delivery passageway may be contoured (e.g. include one or more grooves) for further folding the deformable intraocular lens as it is moved along or through the lens delivery passageway. In addition, the lens delivery passageway may taper inwardly in a direction of advancement of the deformable intraocular lens through the lens delivery passageway.
Preferably, the transverse hinged closure is configured to substantially seal the lens delivery passageway when closed to prevent the deformable intraocular lens from escaping when the deformable intraocular lens is being forced through the lens delivery passageway.
In some embodiments, the transverse hinged closure provides little or none compressive force on the deformable intraocular lens loaded into the lens delivery passageway when the transverse hinged closure is fully closed. In other embodiments, the transverse hinged closure purposely provides compressive forces on the deformable intraocular lens loaded into the lens delivery passageway when the transverse hinged closure is fully closed.
In other embodiments, the transverse hinged closure does not seal the lens delivery passageway, but instead is used to fold the lens into the lens delivery passageway when the transverse hinged closure is being closed. If the deformable intraocular lens is sufficiently folded and captured inside the lens delivery passageway, the deformable intraocular lens can be advanced past the location of the transverse hinged closure, for example by the plunger tip, to a forward portion of the lens injecting apparatus. The forward portion of the lens injecting apparatus can have a completely closed lens delivery passageway portion having an inwardly tapering or lens folding configuration providing radially inwardly directed compressive forces to be exerted onto the deformable intraocular lens by the inner walls of the lens delivery passageway as the deformable intraocular lens is being advanced therethrough.
The transverse hinged closure is preferably arranged to stay closed when shut, and more preferably positively locks when shut (e.g. releasably locks to allow reopening for inspection of lens or reuse of lens injecting apparatus, or permanently locks preventing reopening and reuse). In some preferred embodiments, the inner surface of the transverse hinged closure serves as an inner wall of the lens delivery passageway, preferably contiguous with remaining inner wall portions of the lens injecting apparatus. Further, the inner surface of the transverse hinged closure can be contoured (e.g. provided with at least one groove, protrusion, or complex contoured surface design) to facilitate folding of the deformable intraocular lens when closing the transverse hinged closure and/or when advancing the deformable intraocular lens through the lens delivery passageway.
In the preferred two (2) piece or component arrangement, the transverse hinged lens cartridge is held closed once inserted into the lens receiver of the lens injecting device. For example, a cylindrical portion of the housing of the lens injecting device serves as a lens cartridge receiver, and the band strength of the cylindrical portion maintains the transverse hinged lens cartridge closed when the lens cartridge is inserted into the lens cartridge receiver.
In one preferred embodiment, the transverse hinged closure includes a protrusion for forcing the center of the deformable intraocular lens downwardly while the ends of the lens are held by sides of an opening through the side of the housing to cause the deformable intraocular lens to fold into the lens delivery passageway as the transverse hinged closure is being closed.
In another preferred embodiment, the deformable intraocular lens injecting apparatus includes a lens injecting device and a lens cartridge receiver. The lens cartridge of the present invention has a lens holding portion connected to a nozzle portion. Together, the lens holding portion and the nozzle portion define a lens delivery passageway, through which a deformable intraocular lens is introduced to the capsule of the eye. The longitudinal axis of the lens cartridge is substantially parallel to the lens delivery passageway.
The lens holding portion of the lens cartridge of the present invention includes a movable wall portion which is movably connected to a stationary wall portion. The movable wall portion moves about an axis which is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lens cartridge. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the movable wall portion swings about a transverse hinge which connects the movable wall portion to the stationary wall portion. The transverse hinge is configured in the most preferred embodiment so that there exists a plane normal to the axis of the transverse hinge which contains the longitudinal axis of the lens cartridge.
The lens cartridge of the present invention also includes means for releasably locking the lens cartridge in the lens injecting device. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, an extension is included on the lens holding portion of the lens cartridge. The extension engages an L-shaped slot in the lens injecting device to releasably lock the lens cartridge therein.
In use, the stationary wall portion of the lens cartridge is grasped in a first hand of the user. With a second hand, the user opens the lens cartridge by pushing the movable wall portion about the transverse hinge to expose a substantial portion of the lens delivery passageway of the lens cartridge. While the lens cartridge is in an open configuration, a deformable intraocular lens is placed on the exposed lens delivery passageway. The user then closes the movable wall portion to complete the loading of the lens in the lens cartridge. The lens cartridge is then ready for assembly with the lens injecting device. Grasping the lens cartridge in the first hand and the lens injecting device in the second hand, the extension of the lens cartridge is aligned with the L-shaped slot in the lens injecting device. The lens cartridge is then guided into slot in the lens injecting device to releasably lock the lens cartridge therein.
Thus, the user of the lens injecting apparatus of the present invention may more easily load a deformable intraocular lens into the lens cartridge. Further, the user may more easily assemble the lens cartridge with the lens injecting device. In short, the deformable intraocular lens implantation procedure is improved.